Lost File
by Sky Rider
Summary: Black Cat's first real mission as an assassin, the cover-up that ensued, and how he got his name. Go figure.


**Black Cat – Lost File**

Buried under file after confidential file in the deepest vaults of Chronos, there was a file that held incriminating evidence. Before it was burned, this file contained information of a mission that took place almost ten years ago. In that mission I, the Black Cat, the number thirteen, failed.

Chronos chalked it up to being brand new. They said it was only the beginning. They thought I had potential. But then again, they also knew who had trained me to be the killer I was then. Zanguine Axeloxe had twice the murderous intent and all of the skill that I did. His one downfall was that he had half of my speed.

Ever since the beginning, I could never quite put my finger on it, but something just always felt off about Chronos. I didn't understand it at the time. Chronos was all I had known for so long that it never occurred to me to get out. And there was the added incentive to stay knowing that one who did leave several years before had been eliminated immediately. There was no mercy among assassins, and that was exactly what Chronos was. We were all out of our minds—crazy for blood, but disciplined enough not to go looking for it when we weren't asked to. We were the police that needed no trial to convict and no executioner to kill. There was no point in sending criminals to trial. The ones we were told to eliminate had been thoroughly researched and held under surveillance. Chronos became judge, jury, and executioner in a single night. Once an order was given to kill, the target never lived.

--

"Heartnet?"

I didn't know who was calling me, but that morning was one of those eerie, gray mornings that anyone would've probably liked to just stay in bed for. Yeah, as much as I've always hated the rain, it was perfect weather for an assassination. Whenever it rained and I had to pull the trigger, I always felt better somehow… almost like someone somewhere was crying for the person I had killed. It gave some humanity to the thankless task.

"Heartnet!"

I opened my eyes and looked at the Chronos number one, Sephiria Arks, "I'm awake."

"You're late. Don't be late again," she said. With that she walked away.

I sat up and watched her leave. That's exactly how it was. There was no love or hate in her remark. It was merely a statement, a promise that if I were ever late again, someone wouldn't be as forgiving. I dressed very quickly and made my way to the main hall. It was my first time to encounter them. My orders were given to me by a small group of old men. Their faces were displayed on large screens. These old men were said to be the brains behind our operation. They were the ones who did the tracking, surveillance, and convicting. We, the numbers, did the killing.

"Thirteen. Your first mission will be to assassinate the daughter of Meldon Enterprises." Several pictures popped up on the screen. One contained the girl's photo. Another contained the company. I cringed. She looked no more than twelve years old.

"Is there a problem?"

I looked one of the old men in the eyes coldly, "No."

"Good. We expect this mission completed by tonight," said another old man.

"Dismissed," said another old man.

I left without a word to anyone. Occasionally, some of the numbers would answer "yes," or "my pleasure." Me, I simply didn't say anything. Any time I was involved in issues that contained corpses, I always had nightmares. It had happened since my parents were murdered when I was a kid. My outlook on the whole mess just never changed after that. Some of the numbers could successfully separate their normal lives from their lives at Chronos. Of course, I wasn't old enough to live on my own outside Chronos at that time, but when I was, I did. Fifteen years old and already armed with a gun that was virtually indestructible, if I wasn't so used to it I might've asked what the hell was wrong with this world. Needless to say, my oblivious thinking, or lack there of, continued like this until I was twenty-three and I met Saya.

The day slipped by in fast motion. I polished my new gun and read books non-stop. I had never been more nervous in my life. Sure, I had killed men before alongside other assassins, but this was different somehow. This was an unarmed, little girl that was younger than I was. I gnawed my fingernails down to stubs by the time I realized that no one was going to come get me and tell me to start the task. I was on my own tonight. Standing on shaking legs, I pulled out a map of the city and occupied myself with charting my route over the rooftops. It was extraordinarily close—approximately seven miles from my present location at Chronos. Since this was my first mission alone, Chronos was being generous with the distance I had to travel. Of course, this had a more practical purpose as well. If I were too tired to deal with the target when I arrived at the destination, I would fail. Chronos may have been heartless, but they weren't stupid.

Running on the rooftops for the first time was… tricky. I was actually quite surprised and pleased that I didn't fall and break my neck. To say the least, I didn't deem myself as cool back then. When I did reach the mansion that held my target though, I was all business. Just like I had been taught, I dropped down to the windowsill that was supposed to be a way into the room that was holding the girl. I took out Hades and eased the window open. Stepping inside, the light in the room illuminated me perfectly. The girl, sitting just a few feet away at a desk looked around at me. Immediately I froze. No target had ever looked me in the eye before. Her gaze fell on Hades and she screamed. From downstairs I could hear footsteps almost instantly pound up the stairs. I had to get out of there. If I got caught, there was no telling what they would do to me, or worse yet, what Chronos would do to me. I hastily scrambled back onto the windowsill and launched myself back onto the roof. I didn't stop to think, I just ran.

The next morning, I woke up sprawled on a rooftop halfway across town. The small, black leather jacket that I wore was zipped up to hide my neck, and the loose black pants I had on covered the rest of me. Despite this, when I woke up and remembered the night before, I felt strangely naked. I knew that even though I didn't have the slightest clue where I was now, I wouldn't be lost for long. Chronos would send someone out soon to retrieve me, and when they did, there could be no telling what their orders would be.

As if summoned by my thoughts of dread, without warning, I heard a very firm female voice from behind me.

"Heartnet!"

I turned very slowly, dreading the scene of a drawn weapon and a deadly glare. But when I saw Sephiria her sword was sheathed and her eyes held nothing but sadness.

"Yes?"

"You failed?"

"Yes."

"We know. Come," she commanded and turned to walk away.

I didn't resist. Like a bad dog who had been lost for a night, preparing itself for a scolding, I was brought back to Chronos. I saw no one on my way to the council room. I suspected that they were all out on missions or quietly lounging at home. Only later did I learn that Sephiria had sent them all away to keep them from gaining knowledge of my failure. I still don't understand why she went to such great lengths to hide this fact from everyone, but when I stood in the room with the old men again, listening to what they had to say, it made just enough sense to satisfy my future curiosity. Like listening to a trio, each of the old men filled in another's gap with words that continued on the others' thoughts:

"Thirteen. You failed to assassinate the girl."

"This is a grave error, but fortunately it can still be corrected."

"You have great potential. Axeloxe has assured that. Failing is not an option."

"Correct your mistake while the chance is still within your grasp."

"Your failure will have made the next mission harder, but not to worry. There is yet to be a normal man who could ever lay a hand on you."

"Finish her off tonight and never speak of this mission again."

"Yes, finish it tonight."

Without saying a word for myself, my fate was already decided for me. So that night I was at that girl's mansion again. I wouldn't chance the windowsill again. I looked around for a balcony to climb onto. I barely turned my head towards the other side of the mansion before I caught sight of one. It appeared to be just beside the girl's bedroom. Lowering myself down onto the stone floor, I was met with the sight of white silk curtains just behind the glass doors. I would have to be quick. If I broke the glass, I would have to dodge into the girl's room, take her out, and get out of the house as quickly as possible. Looking towards the glass door, I frowned. I walked forward and leaned close to the door. There in the middle was the lock. It was then that I wished I had brought something to pick locks with. Sighing, I pulled out Hades and aimed it at the metal latch. Quick and clean, a single shot took out the lock, leaving the door free to open without a single trace of broken glass. As I entered, I could hear some questioning voices coming from below. Without a sound, I made my way to the girl's room. Opening the door, I looked inside. Immediately shock, confusion, and fear pressed in on me. She wasn't in the room. What now?

"What? Who are you?"

I turned to see a servant pointing and staring at me. With ease, I elbowed her in the stomach and she fell to the ground. There was no point in combing the entire house unless I absolutely had to. I slid into the girl's room with the unconscious servant in hand, and waited in the dark for her to return. Time went by slowly. I silently cursed myself for waiting instead of storming the place as I looked through the window at the moonlight. Almost an hour after I had arrived, the girl unsuspectingly walked into the room with a bathrobe on. As she turned her back to me, I quietly slid out from under her bed and stood up behind her. She turned around to face me, completely unaware of my presence until her eyes were on me. Instantly, she threw her hands against the desk behind her, recoiling as far as she could. My gun was at eye level with her now. Frightened, her eyes opened wide.

"Who are you? What do you want?"

I looked her in the eyes with my finger on the trigger and said, "I'm just a black cat, here to deliver some bad luck."

I squeezed the trigger and she was on the floor lifeless. I could hear servants below coming up the stairs when they hear the shot sound, but I was suddenly in no hurry to leave. I paced myself as I shut the girl's door behind me and walked to the balcony door. Walking out the door that led onto the balcony, I just caught a servant's eye as I rounded the corner. Jumping back onto the roof, I disappeared from the scene. Getting back to Chronos again seemed like a minor task now. Everything seemed to be without time, and what should've been wrong was strangely right.

When I returned to Chronos the following morning I was debriefed by the council, and the documents that related to my failure were hidden deep in the vaults. Chronos had been watching the whole time that night. People began to call me Black Cat, and that girl's assassination was the first of hundreds to come.

--

Another night two and a half years later, I was staring down at yet another woman. She didn't look at me with fear like my first victim had though.

"You're from Chronos, aren't you?"

With cold eyes I watched her, "I've come to deliver some bad luck."

A single shot rang out in the still night air and just like so many others; she collapsed to the ground lifeless. I looked at her for a moment before turning away.

"Did I almost see a little regret that time, Train?"

I looked over at the slimy, white-haired man that had practically glued himself to me as the years went by.

"What do you want, Creed?"

"Now, don't be like that. I just wanted to see my best friend in action, that's all."

"We're not friends, Creed," I said firmly as I walked away from him.

"That hurts my feelings. You can't mean it. After all, when you get a new place outside Chronos, I want to be the first to visit."

"No chance in hell."

"And when do you plan on getting a new place?"

"Soon," I answered reluctantly, still walking away from him.

"Where?"

I didn't answer. In the distance I could hear a set of clock bells chime twelve times. Looking up at the moon, I smiled sadly. Happy Birthday to me.

--

_This is a little thank you for all the reviewers of Unlikely Savior. Thanks for all of your positive reviews! I hope you enjoyed this. It's a little one-chapter mini-fic. Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone!_


End file.
